Guilty Pleasures, Round Two: Meat Loaf (5) vs. Backstreet Boys (4)
- Music
EW’s Music Mix is searching for the Greatest Guilty Pleasure Musical Act of All Time. With 16 seeded contestants remaining (see all the matchups), this tournament is continuing to change hearts, minds, and lives, as well as make some people remarkably agitated! Read/listen to the following, and then cast your vote in the poll after the jump; reader comments will be used from here on out, so we encourage you to also post a comment explaining why you chose the way you did. Note: In case of a tie, please select the artist you feel more ashamed to adore. Also note: Yes, the bracket was rearranged to be in proper bracketing order. Thank you.
Mr. Loaf squeaked out the closest win of Round One, over possible secret twin Garth Brooks. Fans celebrated the sing-along qualities of Meat’s more melodramatic songs, and most were refreshingly honest about the guilt involved.
“Meatloaf, oh, Meatloaf, I will only admit to liking you when I belt out your tune in my car on an abandoned street…which is like every week.” — Kristi
“I do not reveal that my friends and I had an entirely choreographed routine to ‘2 out of 3 ain’t bad’ and that when I am sad, that is still my go to song for a good cry.” — Mandy
“This was a hard choice. But I thought back and realized, everyone, I mean everyone, including people who were there for Meat Loaf’s heyday laugh at me when I reveal that at 20 I love to rock out to ‘Paradise by Dashboard Lights’ and have sung it with my friends at karaoke. My sister’s kids love Elvis, but just look at us funny when we sing Meat Loaf at the top of our lungs.” — Charlotte
“MeatLoaf is one of those artists rock critics hate, which makes him one the fans LOVE.” — wakeforce
We thought for a while that the Backstreet Boys might have a hard time with Duran Duran, but thanks to a global army of rabid fans, they absolutely demolished their competition. No reason to think that won’t happen again.
“…all we 90s children know is the complete awesomeness of Backstreet Boys. Start singing “I Want It That Way” in the presence of 90s kids, and you will instantly be singing with a chorus. Backstreet Boys FTW.” — Austin
“I’d have to say BACKSTREET BOYS all the way. Those key changes cause the serotonin levels to SOAR — almost orgasmic if you get my drift and the Boys have song after song after song with those changes.” — Twilight
“EU AMO OS BACKSTREET BOYS ♥ aqui no Brasil todos amam eles! as músicas deles são perfeitas:) e eles também hahaha” — Dai
“The Backstreet Boys! We were just kids back then, when these 5 lovely people took us by storm. Our wallpapers was made of backstreet boys posters, we spent hours and hours talking about them. Me and my best friend Anna stood in front of the whole class and danced and sang to “Get Down,” 11 years old and even the guys in our class thought we were good and they hated BSB. They are vocalists, preformers and maybe most of all artists – carrying the amazing gift to touch people with their songs. Me and Anna are going to see them in Stockholm in Dec. Proud Backstreet girls!” — Nora
“how do i vote for phish?” — Possum
Photo Credit: Meat Loaf: Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis; Backstreet Boys: Everett Collection